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Open Message to President Obama

Wed, 07/13/2011 - 3:51pm | Thoughtful

Raising the debt ceiling is not the problem causing economic uncertainty around the world. It would take less than half an hour to eliminate the problem, so the country and the rest of the world could progress with recovery from the Republican Recession. Despicably blackmailing the country into preserving the corporate millionaires and billionaires welfare entitlements to prevent national bankruptcy through increased interest rates is the problem. Demanding that the elderly, the disabled, and children must die to preserve the reprehensible extortion employed by the corporate co-opted Republican Party is the problem. Obviously, no one is going to be happy with the results of the negotiations on raising the debt ceiling, so quit negotiating to give away the country which is not yours to give away, and demand Congress vote on a clean debt ceiling bill. Make Congress go on record to either allow the country to recover from the Republican Recession or plunge it into the Republican Depression, and let the voters see who stands with them and who is pulling them off the cliff with them. Make it clear to them that you will unilaterally veto anything but a clean debt ceiling bill, and leave it up to them to pass a solution over your veto. Be persistent, do the right thing, and lead as you were elected to do!

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Penteller wrote on August 09, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Dear Mr. President, We know

Dear Mr. President,
We know what your bosses are doing, do you?

What we know for a fact…

No one can verify whose body was in the bag, except probably less than 5 individuals who shot, transported and processed it, an easy number to manage.

No interviews of any of the women or children who lived there have been shown, no comment from the extensive bin Laden family has been released.

3 weeks ago it was reported that the Pakistani CIA Station Chief who had coordinated the sans-bin Laden mission had become gravely ill and been relieved of his duties.

That weekend a very young, bright eyed and enthusiastic reporter was all over the airwaves with the “official” bin Laden kill story, regurgitating the story with great relish. Claiming he had been given access to Team 6 personnel that allegedly NEVER talk to reporters, who told him the “real” story.

Now some of those men are dead in a “freak” accident, wherein a large concentration of Seals that normally use more maneuverable and hot-zone designed choppers, are shot out of the air in an aircraft known for its lumbering broadside.

To further herd the sheeple along to the next news cycle and keep them from contemplating the real cost of the war, the lapdog media rolls over to have its tummy rubbed and never questions that the return of our hero’s to their families on our native soil has been officially banned from the airwaves.

All just standard MO. Just like the B52 flyover of armed nuclear warheads a few years back, wherein all the key people who where involved in the incident from the base commander on down, are now dead from “accidents”.

"The illusion of freedom (in America) will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater." -- Frank Zappa

Penteller wrote on August 06, 2011 at 9:08 pm

Thoughtful, Well your pen

Thoughtful,

Well your pen name certainly fits your style my friend and I do appreciate greatly your words.

"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." ~H.L. Mencken

Yes, the turmoil in the Middle East is nearly as old as man himself. When God told Abraham he would bless him with decedents that could not be counted, who would live upon the land given to them, no one ever dreamed the two boy’s strife would still be in play thousands of years later. Talk about blood feuds!

Imagine no religion? Man don’t we wish - because things would be much more sane since all of this is about perceptions of God. Who was blessed with what, whose religion is more powerful, who gets to set closest to God when you die, or gets to party with virgins.

When Regan met with the Taliban at the White House and praised their efforts by saying they were freedom fighters and comparable to our founding fathers, he spoke of what was and who they were. Unfortunately they are about 5 centuries behind in their thinking, due to their ultra conservative social practices and need a serious rethink.

However, that rethink can never be imposed upon them from outside but must be dealt with from within their own culture and religious beliefs. Our interference and subsequent imposition of social gerrymandering upon them, only serves to make them stronger and able to enlist more followers.

In short, until we fold up our war tents that we spend nearly 20billion a year to air condition, pull out and get our nose out of their affairs, they will never change – except to get meaner. They only way they will change is for us to provide leadership in real peace by staying home and helping their moderates to affect change from within.

Yea, yea I can hear it from some now… But they attacked us! Well of course they did, but only after we screwed with them until they couldn’t stand it anymore!

My wife and I sat in a restaurant in Strom Lake Iowa on 911, marveling at the ignorance around us as everyone was in complete shock, while we had only the day before talked about what and when the next attack would occur because of our national arrogance. But then it was a contrived event, so even our observations were semi-tainted.

Bottom line, until we get out, tell a certain country that their on their own and had better play nice, things will only get worse.

As for the Bush Clan and patriotism? Prescott Bush (grandpa) was a significant business partner with the Nazi party, with his primary contact and associate being Karl Thyssen, one of Germany’s most prestigious families (who still are).

During the early years of their relationship a coup was planned upon the US Government by unknown persons and the primary player mysteriously died just prior to the beginning of his trial. It was alleged that the real players were the robber barons and powerful business leaders of their day, industrialist who hated the socialist policies being put in place and wanted the following real American and highest decorated Marine, to lead the military after the coup.

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.pdf

After the war started in Europe and Congress passed laws banning business between American and German companies, it was necessary to censor Congressman Prescott Bush’s for his continued involvement with Nazi’s and fine his company.

Then we get into Pappy Bush and it gets even better, in his involvement in many of the worlds clandestine affairs, from the assassination of JFK, heading the CIA in some of the most brutal years of overseas affairs to his manipulation of the Iran Hostage affair so Regan could win the election and he become Vice President. Not to mention the millions he made after his Presidency, from the international criminal Sun Myung Moon who owned the Illuminati publication USA Today.

Then we have the silver spooned boy, a college cheerleader who graduated last in his class, but made sure he was a fraternal brother like his father in the Skull And Bone’s fraternity. The most ultra-secret fraternity with members world wide who control much of today’s planetary powers, men like Afghanistan’s Karzi.

After college and during the Vietnam war, little George played pilot as a Reservist here in the states, sometimes showing up for duty that was not necessarily mandatory since daddy held positions of immense federal powers. Eventually resigning so he could go play elsewhere.

Terrified of large animals such as cows and horses, he stayed way from ranches and farms as he managed to wander through life as a good ol’boy, kept by people like Kenneth Lay who loaned him the 118 seat Enron corporate jet for his 2000 presidential campaign. Who was probably instrumental in helping his purchase the former pig farm in Texas, so he could have a Reganesk backdrop for his business men’s associated Presidency.

So I guess you’re right, in today’s world, with business owning most of our politicians and now with unlimited corporate funding of elections, the Bush family is the very model of Patriotism.

" Corporations care very much about maintaining the myth that government is necessarily ineffective, except when it is spending money on the military--industrial complex, building prisons, or providing infrastructural support for the business sector."-- Michael Lerner, from the book The Politics of Meaning, 1997, p315

buzorro wrote on August 08, 2011 at 9:08 pm

A friend sent me an email

A friend sent me an email today stating that he didn't know if the article was true or not, but it sure makes a person think. I replied that, not to worry, thinking is good. You see, he was a sheeple being fed the slime oozing out of the TV set. The article?

The Execution Of SEAL Team Six
Penned by Ann Barnhardt
8-7-11

http://www.rense.com/general94/execc.htm

Follow up comments:

Inside Scoop: Shot Down Black-Op Seals Won't Be Talking Now

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/917/461/Inside_Scoop:_31_US_Occupiers_Kil...

Comments - The Elimination Of The
SEALS Who Killed 'bin Laden'
From Michael
8-7-11

http://www.rense.com/general94/comments.htm

Penteller wrote on July 25, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Thoughtful, Wonderful post

Thoughtful,

Wonderful post indeed and so much to agree upon… however….. Couple of points to make.

America’s meddling in middle eastern affairs over the last 60 years that ranged from coups, assassinations and support of brutal dictatorships, has left hundreds of millions of Muslims with a very bad taste in their mouth. It is continued pilfering in their culture that has planted millions of very bitter herbs that we keep watering with our presence.

Our continued presence with “boots” on the ground is one of the most insulting things we can do. After the first gulf war in which we sent our previous good friend Saddam packing (the man who kept the lid on the sectarian populace and created the most liberal Middle Eastern state) we kept a perm ant military presence in Saudi Arabia that further insulted the more conservative Muslim like Osama.

In Muslim traditions of Jihad, death is to be embraced, revered, joyously looked forward to, while the family of a Jihadist is to be held up within a community as a family of great honor. This was the primary trigger that got me questioning the 911 criminal event and subsequent events, when it was reported that a Jihadist had written home asking for forgiveness in what he was about to do. Something that would never be done.

The Bush administration was floundering big time when 911 occurred. They were dead in the water politically and seemed to have absolutely no direction. George, being the silver-spoon kid he was, kept afloat financially by the bin Laden’s in his early oil years, given a ball team through his Presidential daddy’s friends, loafing through a Governorship in a state that allows no gubernatorial powers, to the Cheney puppet years in a White House setup by his closets friend Kenneth Lay and staffed with Enron executives, he needed something to do desperately.

So they gave him an easy job – fear mongering. It’s easy, simple words, and requires that all you have to do is talk trash bout the boogieman that the CIA had created in maintaining our involvement in middle eastern affairs. And the rest of the story we all know.

After years of chasing a dead man and trillions lost in a war that cannot be won with guns, the American people had enough. So they pulled the lever as far afield from the Shootemup right as they politically could. Never realizing that they had voted for a BushLight man who like all Presidential candidates must do, went to get his blessing just before the election and is now our newest grocery clerk, delivering the goods we are told to deliver.

So until we stop providing the Jihadist with the ammunition they use to fund, recruit and orchestrate their movement, we will only fuel their growing powers. We have the ability to turn off the madness, but the way is blocked by a world wide cable of leadership who profit handsomely from the turmoil this all creates and will only promote the further destruction of the species for the profit of the few.

How much did Cheney Make off the war he helped orchestrate – tens of millions in Haliburton shares he owned.

As for re-think of our social structure – you bet!

Consumer Health Care is a great place to start. A perfect example of how the corpocracy controls the minds of the population. There should never be “consumption” of health care, as the care in heath should be structured on “less is more”. But then no 50 million dollar healthcare executive ever got his bonus from training the public that you should be proudest when taking the least, which is why our un-sustainable health care system is in collapse and will eventually bankrupt us, so the profitability of the few can be maintained.

And the list goes on and on and on. Our voices here are marginalized because people are to busy watching the dancing stars and voting for their favorite idol to care. It will all have to collapse completely for anyone to care or notice and maybe then we can start again, building from a strength of wisdom and understanding.

The Obama Presidency has shown it’s colors and they are just another in a long line of yes men who owe their position to the money men who now own us all.

Thoughtful wrote on July 26, 2011 at 2:07 pm

You present some valid

You present some valid observations with which I would not disagree. I would offer a brief observation to add to yours, and agree to disagree on the differences. It would be accurate to say a contentious relationship with the Islamic population precedes the foundation of this country going back to the Crusades. But, the Middle Eastern populations were involved in a high level of indiscriminate genocide and enslavement before the foundation of either Islam or Christianity, dating back to the beginning of recorded history. I have only semi facetiously thought there will never be peace and harmony in that region as long as 2 people remain. Tribal hatreds are rooted in millennia of animosity and unresolved retaliation, which we have no power to resolve, because it had nothing to do with us in the first place. We merely serve as their current convenient excuse for the barbaric behavior in which they have engaged for thousands of years. That is not to say that we are any better or that we have not so engaged in similar behaviors, but our involvement or not does not excuse them from responsibility for their own actions. Just as you ascribe fear mongering to control peoples' thoughts and actions to seize power, this is the age old common denominator in most political and religious constructs, which could not be more applicable than to Al-Qaeda, whose complaint of the corruption of their society is, as it is in our society, a problem of people making choices to which power hungry people object. If peace broke out these corrupt sadistic thugs would lose all their power, and they are not about to let that happen, so our absence would merely give them free reign to terrorize their populations as the Taliban did in Afghanistan before 9/11.

To be suspicious concerning politics is extremely rational, but that suspicion should also extend to your conclusion on the basis of aberrant correspondence of a radical religious fanatic (doubly redundant?). To suspect any administration involvement with 9/11 would be to submit that these terribly insulted radical Muslim Jhadists would be in collusion to benefit their most hated deadliest enemy, sending their people on a suicide mission to improve President Bush's image, when his entire presidency he demonstrated significant disdain for public opinion? While I certainly think he is guilty of being a politician and a corporatist, I would definitely reject the charge that he is anything less than a true patriot based on his family, his upbringing, and his willingness to accept all the abuse heaped upon him in order to do what he believed was right to keep everyone else in this country alive for more than 7 years.

We agree that profit should be minimized when it comes to health care, because all humans have a right to their health, and money should not be a detriment to maintaining it in a civilized society. Profit certainly should be minimized when it comes to the products of war to disincentivize anyone from engaging merely for profit, but a reasonable level allowing development of military superiority has enabled us to survive and provide a stabilizing influence on many tense occasions in history. While we are currently threatened by nuclear weaponry, many millions more would have died in a full scale invasion of Japan had we not employed that technology then. Despite the horrific loss of life and destruction, knowing their own culture and mindset, even the Japanese concede that the atomic bomb saved millions of Japanese lives and allowed their country to recover from the war decades sooner.

Your fear that our society must collapse before everyone takes notice so it can be rebuilt seems to be exactly where the wealthy, special interests and multinational corporations are driving us. But, I imagine having to struggle to survive will leave little time for increased wisdom and understanding, and even less resources to resist the total enslavement by the privileged few who control all the resources. 2012 is the tipping point, because without the elimination of unlimited undisclosed corporate funding of our next election, corporations will consolidate their control of all 3 branches of our government, if we individually and collectively don't expend every effort to educate and unite all the electorate behind candidates who actually represent the citizens of this nation, not just the wealthy 2%. Personally I believe Expanded and Improved Medicare For All single payer health care financing is the single most important step to reduce our budget deficits, and ultimately our national debt, while improving the health and productivity of every citizen in this nation. But, in the meantime I am participating in this educational and mobilization effort supported by dozens of national organizations, through the resources of MoveOn.org, to give everyone a voice to identify and support our common goals. We need our "Egypt" moment now, because while it may not be appropriate for the majority to impose their will on the minority, it CERTAINLY is NOT proper for the minority to subject the majority to their whims. I apologize for veering off course myself, but your observations were worthy of additional thoughts and I thoroughly believe you deserve the consideration. I'll try to resume course presently.

Thoughtful wrote on July 25, 2011 at 4:07 am

You have clearly identified

You have clearly identified the crux of the problem with our political system and our entire country, PRIORITIES! While there will be differences between intelligent independent minded citizens' lists, the key is to set those aside and implement the solutions to the issues on which everyone agrees, rather than being defined by our differences as the special interests and multinational corporations encourage the political parties to do to enhance their influence and benefits. Having withdrawn from an aeronautical and astronautical engineering major over 40 years ago, I share your lament over the demise of the space shuttle program and the lost potential of continued improvements in our lives and society in general from the spin off of all that scientific research and development. All of my first 3 online search results revealed experiments with the potential to provide benefits to the citizens of our nation.

http://news.yahoo.com/shuttle-atlantis-carries-adult-stem-cells-space-pi...

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/science-technology/Researchers-Exper...

http://www.space.com/11957-nasa-robot-space-refueling-experiment-final-s...

I doubt that even the Amish have avoided a direct positive influence from discoveries and products resulting from our extraordinary space exploration efforts, which provide us an incredible return on our investment. Judging from the current behavior of corporations, I fear depending on them for such a significant contribution to our country and society, rather than ourselves, will provide us with many bitter disappointments at a much higher cost of money and lives.

As your post accentuates, we too frequently pit one priority against another, rather than weighing each on its own merits as to whether the greater benefit is derived from its support or its absence. I personally believe NASA's benefits to every citizen of this country far outweigh the cost. I also believe that rather than being otherwise distracted during the Clinton administration, when we had a budget surplus, it would have been far more cost effective to have adequately engaged the increasing threat of extremist terrorism, than the costs of remedial measures required following the 9/11 attack. An adequate investment in prevention would have been far preferable to the result, as might be our current investment compared to a resulting nuclear detonation in Manhattan if the government of Pakistan were to totally collapse to Islamic extremists who have considerable popular support in that nuclear power. If history has taught us anything during our century of World Wars, it is that appeasement is like catnip to the deranged who seek to rule the world or at least dictate the rules by which the world's populations are controlled. In most cases, uncertainty is worse than either of the 2 choices, and I believe this applies tragically to public opinion in many crucial issues facing our country. Despite anyone's opinion of President George W. Bush, he knew in what he believed and did not sacrifice his principles for public popularity. Only 9 months into his administration, he was faced with the most despicable attack since Pearl Harbor and the worst incursion of our mainland since 1815. On September 12, 2001, no one could honestly say that they knew anyone could prevent another domestic casualty from foreign elements and I don't think anyone else could have. Our safety was secured because President Bush eliminated any uncertainty in the minds of any head of state that any further perceived threat would be removed preemptively, so convincingly that Muammar Gaddfi renounced without conflict his previously blatant state sponsored terrorism. The only regimes that still openly support terrorism are those that have a greater fear, if they demonstrate signs of weakness, of their own people than of us. The history of our conflicts over the last 50 years certainly has not been lost on our adversaries. Starting with Korea, continuing with Viet Nam, and most conflicts since, if our enemies were able to survive and extend the conflict, they could depend on our unwitting domestic fifth column to achieve more victories by undermining our resolve to secure victory than they ever could achieve in the field. No enemy we have faced in the last 50 years would have prevailed for any protracted period if we had faced them with the united resolve we demonstrated in World War II. If our elected leaders in good conscience commit us to conflict, we owe it to ourselves to end that conflict the best and quickest way possible by standing firmly together, maybe suggesting better ways to execute strategies to achieve victory, but never giving aid and comfort to our enemies by allowing them to believe they could defeat us by merely dividing us. That is the main reason our enemies maintain their resolve to prolong these conflicts, thus unnecessarily costing us billions of dollars and thousands of lives. We hear calls for premature withdrawal from unresolved conflicts. That is exactly what has cost us this entire second Gulf War after we had already won that battle a decade earlier. For those that would have us believe we would be safer if we weren't in Iraq and Afghanistan, maybe if we weren't there 9/11 wouldn't have happened. Oh!, Wait? While I can sympathize with others' resistance to the corrupting influences of our culture, allowing aggression only encourages further aggression. Previous attempts to bomb the World Trade Center, embassies in Africa, and the USS Cole with only a minimal response led terrorists to believe they could murder our citizens with impunity and suffer no consequences. With Afghanistan President Bush offered doubt to that prevailing notion, but with Iraq he removed any further doubt. As with all wars, the battle plan is thrown out with the first shot, and admittedly many strategic mistakes were made. But, many of our missteps have been made because we gave too much consideration to public opinion instead of the safety and success of our military forces. I hope we are not strolling down that garden path, again, because that has proven to be false economy in both money and lives when we have to return to worse conditions than when we left. As Pogo said "We have met the enemy, and he is us" for we are the only power on earth capable of defeating us through ignorance and short sightedness. This is merely my honest opinion from observing this country and its decline over the last 5 decades. I don't intend to digress into lengthy discussions of the merits of mine or anyone else's opinion on this subject. It is only an example of how futile pitting the value of priorities against each other becomes.

Rather than fruitlessly trying to alter intractable opinions, we need to identify and support issues upon which we can all agree to move our country in a positive direction and restore common values. Utilizing the resources of MoveOn.org, citizens in every congressional district across the country met a week ago to initiate this process. There are enough obvious improvements upon which we have near unanimous agreement, that we need to stand together against the special interests' and multinational corporations' politicians that are blocking any progress in the country purely for greedy self interest and campaign contributions.

Everyone agrees that the national debt and the budget are a long term concern, because there is no solution that will solve that problem in the near term. Everyone agrees that that problem can be alleviated by reducing spending and increasing revenue. Considering the competence of the politicians in performing their jobs most citizens would agree that substantially cutting their salaries and staff, eliminating their benefits, discontinuing their health care, and eliminating all pork barrel earmarks, would bring them a touch of the reality with which the majority of their employers, the electorate are suffering. This would reduce the budget by billions of dollars immediately, with the majority of the pain being borne by those directly responsible for those problems. Every honest person agrees that the Social Security Trust Fund, that currently enjoys more than 2 trillion dollars of surplus, is not part of the deficit or debt problem. Any future strengthening of that trust fund is very simply accomplished by eliminating the $106,800.00 annual income cap beyond which the wealthy fail to contribute anything to Social Security. If any further additions were deemed necessary, a simple .1%-.2% increase in the tax rate would resolve any shortfall. Borrowing from the Social Security Trust Fund seemed like a reasonable idea at the time because no one could even imagine any politician being dishonest and disingenuous enough to even consider the measures that are currently being considered in Washington, now. Everyone agrees that all the working people are paying Medicare taxes out of their paychecks for their earned benefits. Elimination of the excessive subsidy provided the lucrative pharmaceutical industry out of Medicare could offset some improved reimbursements for services to health care providers. There is general agreement that we are spending $400,000,000,000.00 annually on administrative costs for health care that contributes nothing to improve anyone's health. The private for profit insurance industry is complaining that they only get to keep 15-20% of the patients' premium dollars for administrative expenses, for which they can arbitrarily deny claims for medically necessary treatments. Government programs already represent over 60% of health care spending in this country, but Medicare provides their services for only 3 - 5% administrative costs. Conservatively we would save $300,000,000,000.00 annually on administrative costs alone with the implementation of Expanded and Improved Medicare For All single payer health care financing. For the 98% of us making less than $250,000.00 annually, the anticipated approximately 5% tax to replace insurance premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and out of pocket expenses, for expanded services would be a real financial saving with improved medical coverage. The ability to go to any facility and any doctor of your choice without some private administrator denying your claim because they are out of network, is in itself reason enough to adopt the system that has allowed every other civilized industrialized country in the world to enjoy its "unfair" economic advantage creating jobs and producing products less expensively. Instead of adopting the solution to deficits, growing debt, lost jobs, and trade imbalances, I suppose it should come as no surprise to any of us that they propose dismantling the most efficient, effective, and popular health care program that answers to the citizens in favor of their campaign contributors to whom they answer. Until Improved Medicare For All is implemented we know any politician claiming to be serious about the problems facing this nation is blatantly lying to us and should be voted out of office. Judging from all the money the politicians are trying to steal from the programs for which we have paid, so they can afford tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, I would surmise there is an election season on the horizon, with full solicitation mode about to kick into high gear. ENOUGH FOR NOW! MORE PROPOSALS LATER.

Penteller wrote on July 23, 2011 at 9:07 am

The debate over manned space

The debate over manned space flight is one that would require thousands of posts and from a purely scientific perspective would probably fall short, considering the advancements in robotics and AI programming.

However from a militarily strategic advantage, manned space flight is what it’s all about in our ultra-secret programs that cannot be audited by anyone, since holding the “high ground” is the principle strategy of any military presence. So we are continuing our manned flight systems, just not for peaceful purposes.

Although NASA’s manned space budget is a large chunk of the limited funding we do for them, it is none the less a critical expenditure for the development of not only science but the countless social gains of jobs and product spinoffs.

Also, if space colonization is to ever take place and we are to leave this tinny lifeboat called Earth, then man’s presence in space is critical to understanding what it takes to survive in the unrelenting environment of space.

But then we are not about exploring any more, nor are we about building or business, we are all about death and destruction, control of the population and reduction in liberties under a police state. Such is our lot and the final chapter in all great societies who achieve and practice imperial constructs, especially those like ourselves who are under the tutelage of a fascist political party, whose sole purpose is the empowerment of corporate machines.

Lead of course by the alleged opposition party Grocery Clerk in the Oval Office who continues delivering the goods on the plan to allow the New World Order to be implemented in America.

Penteller wrote on July 22, 2011 at 3:07 pm

It’s all about Priorities and

It’s all about Priorities and those who choose our future for us.

The same week that our last Manned space flight took place in the most advanced space ships ever flown that were originally designed 40 years ago and intended for limited use, it was revealed that we spend more to air condition our troop tents in Afghanistan that we spend for NASA.

But then imperialism has little to do with expanding knowledge, instead it’s all about gun-barrel diplomacy and the submission of others and the pillaging of their resources.

Thoughtful wrote on July 25, 2011 at 5:07 am

See misplaced reply below.

See misplaced reply below.

alabaster jones 71 wrote on July 22, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Profile Picture

Not that I support the

Not that I support the Afghanistan war at all or necessarily disagree with any of your post, but what "knowledge" exactly have we discovered from the space station recently, other than the discovery of how to waste taxpayer money? What were we getting out of it precisely?

Thoughtful wrote on July 22, 2011 at 5:07 am

With the rise in mechanized

With the rise in mechanized and computerized voting it is essential that measures are implemented creating a paper trail on every vote, so that if the results are ever brought into question they can be verified conclusively with a physical count. Having gone through election judge training years ago, I am confident that the likelihood of corruption at the polling location is minimal because of the 2 party involvement. But, as we saw in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election earlier this year, once the ballots are relinquished by those judges, the opportunity for electoral mischief, though remote, does exist.
Those you referenced who suggest that we need a 2nd party are absolutely correct, since currently we are merely exploring 2 alternatives for the terrorist corporations to instruct their hired politicians to destroy us for their benefit. We have ample evidence over the past 30 years for anyone with any level of deductive reasoning to realize that voting for either the Republican or the Democratic presidential candidate is not a viable option, as their corporate owners will not allow them to address the problems we face, even when they want to, because that does not benefit the wealthy, special interests, or multinational corporations in the short run.

alabaster jones 71 wrote on July 16, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Profile Picture

I'm just hoping that one day

I'm just hoping that one day we can all come together and have our own little French Revolution here in America. The heads of our corporate owners would look great after being severed by a guillotine, just saying...

Thoughtful wrote on July 17, 2011 at 3:07 am

While I can appreciate the

While I can appreciate the frustration represented in your sentiment, it would be redundant because they have already lost their heads to believe they actually deserve all the money they con out of their shareholders and customers. Besides, hitting them in the ballot box and the bank account is the way to really hurt them and that is up to each and every one of us to accomplish. Productive policy meetings were held by citizens all across the country today, and we must mobilize and energize everyone we meet to unite behind the issues on which we all agree, so we can elect candidates eager to represent our views rather than the special interests and multinational corporations. We could witness a landslide electoral victory for the causes that would restore our nation if we convince just 3 out of every 10 people in this country of the value of our issues, because only about 1/2 of the electorate actually vote. The greedy and power hungry elements destroying this country are organized and very well funded to frustrate and wear down their opponents, because that is the only hope they have of clinging to their ill gotten gains since we outnumber them at least 9 to 1. To resist their efforts to divide us, we must really examine the actions, not the rhetoric, of those soliciting our support, and be sure that we identify those that really do stand up for the well being of their fellow citizens, not just the wealthy 2%. Despite any questionable measures perpetrated by our opponents, we must maintain a positive approach to motivate others to embrace our cause, rather than succumb to the dark side. In the meantime, daily telephone calls to our senators', representative's, and White House staff in support of the issues that are important to us seem to touch a nerve with them. My recent rant to Senator Durbin's telephone staffer elicited an assurance that the senator was not supporting certain cuts in a social program, despite his previous openness to such proposals. Vigilance may keep them honest if they are constantly reminded it is important to us and WE ARE WATCHING!

buzorro wrote on July 21, 2011 at 9:07 pm

I'm so glad that you've made

I'm so glad that you've made these posts. Kudos to you for pointing out things that every citizen should know. I'm also glad that a certain poster isn't calling for their removal because they smack of 'conspiracy theories.' Yes, the media is controlled. It pains me that too many people want to gossip about the latest 'breaking news' on the Susan Anthony case (or whatever her name is), but I suppose they're just enjoying their 'right' to be ignorant of matters that will actually affect their futures.

Although I understand your promotion of voting for third party candidates (some say we need a 'second' party), in this day and age of computer-voting do you really consider that a viable option? Rather, have you taken into consideration how easily a computer-voting program can intentionally be corrupted? I believe it was Stalin who was quoted as saying: 'The people who vote don't count, it's the people who count the votes that matter.' There's plenty of evidence pointing to corrupted voting programs in past elections.

As an aside to the poster suggesting a 'kindler, gentler French Revolution,' this video has been on the DrudgeReport since yesterday:

DHS Video Characterizes White Americans as Most Likely Terrorists

http://nation.foxnews.com/terrorism/2011/07/21/dhs-characterizes-terrori...

Maybe they were taking a phrase from Pat Buchanan's recent article...We are Greece.

alabaster jones 71 wrote on July 22, 2011 at 2:07 pm
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Maybe I didn't call

Maybe I didn't call Thoughtful posts "conspiracy theories" because the sentiments within could be backed up with credible evidence, unlike some people's posts...

buzorro wrote on July 22, 2011 at 3:07 pm

Please be more specific.

Please be more specific.

Thoughtful wrote on July 22, 2011 at 4:07 pm

I do appreciate all of your

I do appreciate all of your good thoughts and opinions, but please resist the temptation to veer off on that tangent on this thread, so we can stick to more pertinent references to address our immediate threat. Thank you, very much in advance.

Yatiri wrote on July 15, 2011 at 8:07 pm

Nice post. Doubt we will see

Nice post.

Doubt we will see historic leadership from this president. He is too worried about getting re-elected. That is his priority.

We will see the usual sham negotiations, talk of bipartisanship and political brinksmanship, and in the end those with the power and money to by our elected officials will come out ahead.
The middle class will continue to bear the brunt and will continue to shrink as more fall to the underclass.

Thoughtful wrote on July 16, 2011 at 1:07 am

Thank you. In the absence of

Thank you.
In the absence of the massive educational and mobilization effort that commences today, I would fear that your vision of the future is far too optimistic. But, in the next 2 days citizens in every district across the country are meeting to identify and establish common goals to move this nation in a positive direction to benefit 100% of the people, not just 2%. If we adopt all the issues that unite us, and discard any issue that detracts from our unity, the more than 80% dissatisfaction with Congress should energize enough voters to alter the negative discussion currently underway in Washington, D.C., and enable us to elect the best independent candidates regardless of party. The corporations will spend more on false political advertising and misinformation than has ever been seen in history to confuse, discourage, and overwhelm the undiscerning, pessimistic, and weak electorate to stay home, so they can buy this last election that they need to totally enslave the citizens of this country in their Reverse Robin Hood scheme. Their continued outrageous behavior is our best indication of whose opponents we need to support. So, pay attention, keep heart, and stay healthy despite their best efforts to the contrary, because we will need every ounce of effort and every vote to wrestle our country out of the death grip of the multinational corporations.

alabaster jones 71 wrote on July 14, 2011 at 8:07 pm
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It's so fun trying to choose

It's so fun trying to choose between the party that wants to spend all of our money and the party that wants to give all of our money to billionaires. These debt talks are such a great reminder of what a great system we have going for us here.

Anyways...what you are proposing Obama should do may or may not be a good idea, but I do think it would hurt him rather than help him politically. It would be pretty easy for the Republicans to spin that he "isn't showing leadership" by forcing Congress to act rather than taking care of it himself.

Thoughtful wrote on July 15, 2011 at 4:07 am

Your view is noted and valid.

Your view is noted and valid. Your assessment capsulizes my conclusion that neither party either separately or together has the ability to solve any of our nation's problems, because it is not in the interests of their corporate owners to do so. This nation's apocalyptic decline will continue to accelerate until the electorate reaches the tipping point where about 30% awaken to this realization and are no longer willing to waste their votes on either of the 2 parasitic corporate parties. Leveraging their dissatisfaction meaningfully in support of one viable 3rd party candidate is the only hope any of us have of preventing the total unraveling of our so called society and total collapse of this nation. And, if the Citizens United Supreme Court decision stands, 2012 very well may be our last opportunity before the multinational corporations consolidate irreversible control of all 3 branches of our government. That is why we are witnessing frantic efforts across the country to disenfranchise and marginalize as many of those that have been devastated by the perversion and corruption of all our institutions for the benefit of the wealthy over the last 30 years. With a nearly evenly divided electorate, one only has to look objectively at the 2010 election where $2,000,000,000.00 were spent to buy false political advertising and misinformation merely to fool the 5% of voters susceptible to such manipulation to alter the outcome of the election and preserve the the millionaires and billionaires welfare entitlements. For a party screaming for deficit reduction, but willing to allow the elderly, disabled, and children to die by cutting programs that don't even impact the deficit, $70,000,000,000.00 plus interest that we have to pay the wealthy this year as a result, seems an excessive return on investment for a country with a trillion dollar deficit already. Since we haven't lost any jobs since their current tax rate went into effect in 2003, I can see why they are concerned that increasing their taxes might impact job creation negatively. FOR THE 5%, that was SARCASM, not meant to make light of your unemployment, but to expose the specious nature of the ludicrous Republican argument. If they were concerned about job creation they wouldn't be sitting on their record profits and hoarding record reserves, because money that is invested in job creating activities isn't taxed the way profit is. Their campaign contributions bought them an extension of their income tax rate reduction, so they had no incentive to reinvest their profits for the benefit of the economy or the nation and its citizens.
As to your suggestion that Obama should take care of the debt ceiling situation himself, rather than forcing Congress to act, in order to demonstrate leadership, the executive branch has very limited control of a minute percentage of the discretionary budget. In our governmental system Congress is required to introduce and pass legislation that controls nearly all expenditures. The executive branch can only serve as a check on the power of Congress by vetoing expenditures that they have already approved, Forcing them to fulfill their oath of office and uphold the Constitution which prohibits the full faith and credit of the country from being brought into question is his Constitutional responsibility and to fail to do so would demonstrate a negligent lack of leadership. Until I talked to my congressman I was a lifelong Republican, but after the Democratic capitulations on our vital national issues, I will be voting for a 3rd party presidential candidate for the foreseeable future in order to improve our chances to have a future.

bluegrass wrote on July 15, 2011 at 1:07 pm

Voting for a third party

Voting for a third party candidate in a national election is a loser.

American's spend around $2 billion a year on Halloween candy, so using as an example of how corporations spent 'all this money' is not convincing of much.

Obama is upset because he now has a check on his out of control spending habits. He's like a college kid who maxxed out mom & dad's credit card, and when they put a limit on it and he's throwing a fit stomping out of meetings and name calling.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405270230420330457644633208449390...

Thoughtful wrote on July 16, 2011 at 8:07 am

Voting for the corporate

Voting for the corporate parties is exactly what got us into this mess with the credit card maxed out long before Obama even announced his candidacy for President over 3 years ago. Most of his response has been to continue the measures that George W. Bush initiated his last year in office in response to the Republican Recession that was already well on its way toward a Republican Depression. If our current situation at which we arrived after 30 years of corporate voting, with unemployment over 9%, debt over 14 trillion dollars, deficits over 1 trillion dollars, and a massive interest rate hike imminent on all that debt as a result of posturing for political gain on the debt ceiling issue at the expense of the citizens of this nation and the rest of the world, isn't considered LOSING, then I guess it could be considered rational to continue voting for the parties that achieve these results. An old adage references people who continue doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. The point of the $2,000,000,000.00 reference concerning corporate funded political campaigns is that only 2% of the voters are receiving that 3500% return on their investment, while the other 98% are paying for it with interest at the cost of their lives in too many cases. If politicians choose to represent only 2% of the electorate, then that is the percentage of votes to which they are entitled and should expect to receive. It is a total conviction of our system and the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that our electorate could exercise their right to vote and logically reach any other conclusion. We really do have the best government money can buy, and we really do deserve the government we have, because we elected them. Votes for parties that are incapable of representing the interests and well being of the citizens of this country are the only votes that are wasted. If you really wish to reward the selfish interests of those that ignore the well being of others, BE CAREFUL FOR WHAT YOU WISH, BECAUSE YOU REALLY SHOULD FEAR GETTING WHAT YOU WANT! While the biggest fear is that of the unknown, the greatest danger is in our current path.

bluegrass wrote on July 18, 2011 at 2:07 pm

I'm not really sure what

I'm not really sure what you're trying to say.

What is "corporate voting"?

What does this mean? "The point of the $2,000,000,000.00 reference concerning corporate funded political campaigns is that only 2% of the voters are receiving that 3500% return on their investment, while the other 98% are paying for it with interest at the cost of their lives in too many cases. "

I didn't know the biggest fear is that of the unknown.

Is the greatest danger we face as a nation spending trillions more than we bring in every year, or not borrowing trillions more than we bring in every year?

Thoughtful wrote on July 19, 2011 at 2:07 am

The total control of the

The total control of the propaganda machinery by corporations is reminiscent of threats we haven't faced for 70 years, and there are elements that would impose restrictions on Internet communications, our last truly free form of mass communication to prevent dissent and unrest, as in Egypt. Corporate voting is voting based on the billions of dollars of false political advertising and misinformation against the interests of yourself and the rest of the country in favor of politicians that support the Reverse Robin Hood schemes of the wealthy, special interests, and multinational corporations. By observing the millions of dollars donated to the campaigns of both political parties by special interests and multinational corporations hedging their bets regardless who wins, and by the results of those politicians actions benefitting those corporations financially and otherwise through deregulation, tax incentives, failure to enforce laws and regulations, and laws favoring specific industries and companies, all at the expense of the taxpayers, the budget and the national debt, it is apparent that the government of our country is just a game with profit as the only concern to these corporations, and the politicians are merely pawns to be used for their benefit in exploiting and abusing the citizens of this country and the rest of the world. Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are guilty and complicit in this game, by adopting irrational and incompatible ideals to appeal to the emotions of voters, so they can elicit additional money to be wasted on elections that are already determined to be won by someone owned by the corporations. The corporations and to some extent political leaders understand that the 2 parties are co-dependent, because they divide the electorate for more effective control and manipulation. The results of the last 30 years, for which both the Republican and Democratic Parties are responsible, myself included, irrefutably prove that voting for either party benefits only the privileged, while subjugating the majority to hardship and a declining quality of life. A vote for either of the 2 parasitic parties will result in the continued malfeasance we are currently witnessing in Washington, with even more catastrophic results because the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision has essentially sanctioned the clearance sale of our country to the highest bidder.

Despite nearly 1/3 of the electorate now considering themselves independents, the 2 parties employ sophisticated publicity campaigns to deceive voters into believing they are the only 2 choices, when in reality if both of the choices are committed to doing what one does not want done, one has no choice at all without a 3rd Party. The unanimity of opposition in the Republican Party, and to a lesser extent in the Democratic Party, clearly demonstrates that it is more important for both parties to prevent the other party from succeeding in solving the problems which they themselves created, than in working together to improve the lives of the citizens of this country. They even require their party leaders to go against their conscience and abandon long held principles and goals to conform to the corporate demands placed on their party. There is no depth to which these 2 parties will not stoop to prevent a President from the other party from succeeding in benefitting the country, merely for political advantage. A vote for either of these parties guarantees the mediocrity from which we are currently suffering with continued decline to 4th world status as the candidates elected by corporate money continue to squander this country's potential by allowing their corporate owners to pillage and destroy our human and natural resources. 30 years of slow but accelerating decline demonstrate where we are headed. As long as the corporations are able to control the debate and the electorate between the 2 corporate parties, nothing will change. In 2012, it is imperative that we demonstrate the resolve of which the 2 parties are incapable, to elect a President who only represents the most important special interest in this nation, its citizens. The choice responsible voters have ahead of them is not which of the 2 parties to support, but which of the 3rd Parties will best represent the well being of the citizens of this country, which are being totally ignored by the 2 corporate parties. Now is the time to realize that the unknown really could not be worse than our current destination.

Back in December after a bipartisan commission had offered recommendations for cuts in Social Security, though Social Security is not part of the budget and working taxpayers pay Social Security taxes into its trust fund in return for their future benefits, and after the House of Representatives had passed a bill to extend the Bush tax rate reductions for 98% of taxpayers, suddenly with their campaign contributors facing a deficit reducing tax increase, the Senate decided deficit reduction wasn't worth a nickel more per dollar on income over $250,000.00 per year. After all their hypocritical outcry over deficits, their largesse to those earning over 1/4 million dollars per year added $70,000,000,000.00 plus interest to the deficit, and then they turn around in a couple months and threaten an economy killing governmental shutdown over a $61 billion squabble. It defies comprehension that receiving a $70 billion benefit after a $2 billion election, effectively a 3500% return on investment to those making over 1/4 million dollars per year, could be considered the shared sacrifice that our "representatives?" proclaim is necessary at the expense of lives in too many cases due to extorted social program cuts. Whereas everyone earning less than $106,800.00 per year pays Social Security taxes on 100% of their income, recipients of that $70 billion income tax rate reduction extension pay on less than 43% of their income. Since those earning 1/4 million dollars a year pay less than 1/2 the percentage of Social Security taxes of low income workers, it is obvious they couldn't possibly afford to sacrifice another nickel per dollar of their income in excess of 1/4 million dollars, rather than proposing to cut benefits to those who have already paid for and earned their benefits. Sherlock Holmes would be confounded to find the shared sacrifice that has even been proposed never mind enacted on the wealthy or corporations as a percentage of their resources compared to the unconscionably lethal measures advocated by our corporate owned representatives to be imposed on the elderly, disabled, and children. The millionaires and billionaires have thousands of reasons to vote for corporate parties, but the other 98% of the electorate has trillions of reasons to vote for a 3rd Party, who would be incapable of worse governance than we currently suffer.

Our greatest danger has little to do with money, and even less to do with debt and deficits. Our greatest danger is continuing to pander to the wealthy, special interests, and multinational corporations, ignoring the needs, and well being of the citizens of this nation, who enabled them to acquire their undeserved privilege. We are seeing a microcosm of the future in the increased crime by those with nothing left to lose. Historical examples abound where the well being and the human needs of the people have been ignored by governments. Our country's creation was such an example which cost Great Britain many lives and massive wealth. The French Revolution went poorly for the privileged and wealthy due to their total insensitivity to basic human needs of their fellow citizens. And, the Russian Revolution less than a century ago plunged their country into a very dark period for those who failed to meet the basic human needs of their people. Our country has experienced periods of violence in order to effect social change, but it has been limited by the fact that the people have had a voice to express their opinions and politicians have lent an ear to those desires. With over 80% dissatisfaction with Congress, this display of a tin ear and tone deafness on a par with previous examples in history can only end badly, either for the poor or the wealthy. But, considering the American spirit, I fear the poor will not tolerate too much more of this reprehensible Reverse Robin Hood treatment as the abused nears 75%. The few that display character, principles, and conscience by resisting the usurpation of this country for the total arbitrary benefits of the wealthy, are the only hope to save not only the poor but also to save the wealthy from their own demise. The wealthiest 2% doesn't even equal 1 family out of 100 people, so why are the needs of millionaires more important than the needs of the 98 people who made them rich? For the ultimate good of all 100 people all debt increasing tax benefits for the obscenely wealthy must be eliminated, because a declining nation of poverty stricken workers will not enhance their futures or their prosperity.

cberg wrote on July 19, 2011 at 9:07 am

A great recent example of

A great recent example of this:
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/07/10883/about-alec-exposed

..... And what a surprise, the Koch brothers are behind it...

Thoughtful wrote on July 19, 2011 at 11:07 am

What a pertinent reference!

What a pertinent reference! Thank you, very much. Skeptics, please do not follow the above link as you may learn something that might disturb your unquestioning political prejudices. To the choir, your numbers are expanding exponentially as daily occurrences preclude ignoring reality and the justice in our cause. We do have a very hard struggle against powerfully unscrupulous forces, but that must strengthen our resolve to ultimately hear the fat lady sing, as she has been warming up for some time now.